


Thankful

by IllegalCerebral



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Awkwardness, Eating, F/M, First Meetings, POV Armitage Hux, Post-Canon, Reconciliation, Reyuxmas, Thanksgiving Dinner
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-30
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:35:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21615421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IllegalCerebral/pseuds/IllegalCerebral
Summary: “I’m thankful for the family I found, for my friends and for the chance to make new friends.” Rey gestured towards Hux and the rest of the First Order with a shy smile. Was he supposed to respond? Was this a thing now?After the war is over there is a chance to reflect and broker peace.
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Rey
Comments: 8
Kudos: 27
Collections: Reyuxmas 2019





	Thankful

Hux looked around at the grim faces lining both sides of the long table. Apart from General Organa and the Jedi girl Rey, the former adopting a mask of calm and the latter biting her lip in nervous anticipation, everyone on the rebel side emanated hatred, fear, or a mixture of both.

Not that his own side could claim to be in better spirits. The former First Order officers and soldiers bristled with resentment at being forced to break bread with people they had been conditioned to think of as the lowest of the low.

It had all been based on a lie. Hux looked down at the plate of food, his stomach churning. The First Order had been nothing but a mask for the twisted remains of the Empire to hide behind while it slowly and insidiously regained its foothold in the galaxy. The goal hadn’t been to bring order to the universe, to liberate planets from chaos, and harmonise its people. No, the true goal had been for that terrible Sith black magic to reassert itself and infect everything in its path. Hux, and around half the First Order high command couldn’t let that happen and so here they were, in this god-forsaken alliance.

He wasn’t sure whose idea it was for everyone to share a meal together in the name of ‘friendship’ but whoever it was should be shot, Hux thought. This was more likely to end in a fight than reconciliation.

General Organa stood and a tense quiet descended over the room.

“I know that this isn’t easy for either side. A lot of concessions had to be made, a lot of prejudices challenged but we came together to fight a greater evil and we triumphed. In some ways that was the easy part. The true test is what we do next. We have all lost people-“ Hux could have sworn he sensed the barest hint of a tremor in the General’s voice. She laid a hand on Rey’s shoulder and she in turn reached up and laid her own hand on top with a reassuring smile. Interesting. “We have all sacrificed and suffered but we have all come out stronger because of this and what takes more strength than forgiveness and forging a new future?”

The words hung in the air for a moment and some of the tension lifted slightly. Those gathered glanced at their comrades and then at their former enemies.

“I am thankful we have been given this chance,” she finished, raising her glass. As she sat she made a gesture to Rey who rose, shifting slightly on the spot.

“I’m thankful for the family I found, for my friends and for the chance to make new friends.” Rey gestured towards Hux and the rest of the First Order with a shy smile. Was he supposed to respond? Was this a thing now?

“Thank you for…your kind words” Hux nodded, “And thank you for this opportunity General Organa”

The General nodded and Hux looked back down at his plate, stomach still churning. Others followed suit. The pilot, the traitor and the deceptively fierce girl all stood and made similar speeches with varying degrees of passive aggression. Then Mitaka stood and declared he was thankful their common foe was defeated, Peavey stood and said he was thankful for the chance to work on some rebel crafts and learn something new and soon everyone on both sides had said their piece.

Grudgingly Hux had to admit that the whole ridiculous exercise had served to lighten the mood considerably. Whatever his thoughts about these people he knew that the former First Order personnel, his people, could be in danger if the rebels decided that they posed a threat. The enemy of my enemy may be my friend in wartime but peace could prove more dangerous.

Afterwards they ate with the gentle hum of conversation buzzing about them. Eventually the conversations began to encompass both sides of the tables, some people switched seats, and then others drifted away to different corners of the room to chat idly. Hux took the opportunity to slip outside for some air.

Outside the cool breeze soothed the prickle of discomfort that rippled under Hux’s skin. All he wanted to do was leave, get back to what remained of the base, and start work on something useful like rebuilding ships or security systems or infrastructure or-

“You never said what you were thankful for.”

Hux whipped around on high alert. He reached for his laser knife before remembering that weapons had been strictly forbidden. The Jedi girl arched an eyebrow. If Hux didn’t know better he would guess she was hiding, huddled behind doorway, out of sight of anyone who might be lurking. Except Jedi didn’t hide.

“Are you spying on me?” Hux snapped. Rey blinked.

“No. I’m hiding,” she said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “I don’t really like crowds all that much.”

Some of tension Hux was holding ebbed away as Rey emerged from the shadows.

“Neither do I to be honest,” he said. He stood stiffly, hands clasped behind his back. For reasons he couldn’t quite articulate, his instinct to appear detached and cool in front of a stranger was battling a peculiar urge to share the sentiment with her. Perhaps it had been that ridiculous display inside.

“That’s surprising,” she said, “I would have thought that with all those speeches you gave to the First Order you would love crowds.”

“It’s completely different I assure you,” said Hux, “When you’re giving a speech you’re detached, there’s breathing room. In a crowd it’s cramped, noisy, dirty, unpredicatable-“

“You get lost,” said Rey.

“Exactly.”

She looked at him thoughtfully for a moment and it took all his self-control not to squirm under her gaze.

“You didn’t address my point,” Rey said, looking away to Hux’s relief, “You never said what you were thankful for.”

“I did,” Hux protested. Rey shot him a wry smile.

“No you thanked me for my kind words and then you thanked Leia for the opportunity.”

“It’s still thanks.”

“But it wasn’t…” Rey gestured aimlessly in the air above her, “That wasn’t what was meant. It was supposed be deeper. To focus on the positive, what we’ve won rather than what we’ve lost.”

Hux thought back to her words about her family.

“So?”

“So what?” Hux frowned.

“What are you thankful for?”

“Does it matter?” Hux sighed. Rey looked at him in surprise.

“Of course it matters.” He hadn’t been expecting that. For a moment Hux was silent, he squinted up at the stars that were just starting to appear in the inky sky.

“I am thankful for you blasting the Emperor with your Jedi lightning magic,” he said casually, somewhat enjoying the look of indignation on her face at his words.

“It’s not magic,” Rey snapped, “And I was being serious.”

“So was I. The Emperor was a scourge on the galaxy and I’m glad he met his end the way he did.” A torrent of emotions crossed Rey’s face. Clearly this was not a subject she was comfortable with. It shocked Hux. Rey had almost single-handedly defeated the most powerful Sith Lord ever to live thereby liberating billions, thwarting the return of the Empire, and securing a victory (of sorts) for her precious rebellion. Yet here she was tormented by the act. Hux should have been repulsed by the weakness it belied and yet he found himself moving the conversation on.

“I suppose I am grateful for not being executed,” Hux affected a bored tone but he sobered as he continued, “I am grateful that my officers and soldiers were given the chance to prove themselves.”

“You care about them,” Rey practically beamed. It was kind of endearing.

“I do,” Hux admitted, “Snoke betrayed them all, and they should not be punished for that.” Rey looked like she wanted to say something in response but instead she just nodded. “I suppose you could say I am thankful for them.”

“Well said.” Rey chuckled. “So we are grateful for the same things. Family and friends.” He wouldn’t go that far but Hux found he did not want to contradict her.

“It seems we are.”

“I should head back inside before they send out a search party. Are you coming?”

“In a moment.” Hux nodded. He needed a little longer alone with his thoughts. Rey smiled.

“I am thankful we had this opportunity to talk,” she said softly as she left.


End file.
